Anti-moth essential oils

What is the clothes moth?

Also known as the common clothes moth, the clothes moth rarely attracts our attention: this little greyish moth looks perfectly harmless. In fact, it's the larvae that are fearsome, as they feed on the proteins and keratin contained in wool, fur, feathers and, incidentally, silk, cotton, linen... They voraciously attack all these textile fibers, leaving beautiful holes in our sweaters, dresses, curtains, carpets and even fabric sofas.

What can you do to protect your clothes and avoid a moth infestation? Use our grandmothers' methods? Unfortunately, the famous naphthalene widely used in the 20th century is a petroleum derivative, as are second-generation moth repellents based on paradichlorobenzene. In addition to their distinctive smell, they are carcinogenic and highly flammable. Pyrethroid-based insecticides are currently on the market, but these can also be toxic. So it's best to replace them with natural products.

Keeping moths away naturally

The most effective solution remains prevention. Moths are fond of dark, unventilated places (their larvae are downright lucifugic), and are also attracted by human scent. The first anti-moth reflex is therefore to air and clean cupboards regularly. Early autumn is a good time to get out and shake out clothes, as summer is a good time to lay eggs.
You should also take care to store only clean linen: washing (above 49°C) kills moths, their larvae and eggs, and eliminates odours that attract insects. It's also a good idea to pack unused clothes well, preferably in watertight protective covers.

An effective way to combat textile moths

Moths don't like strong-smelling substances, and aromatic plants are an effective way of scaring them away. The scent of cedar wood, lavender flowers or laurel leaves, for example, repels these pests and makes it more difficult for them to detect woollens.
You can make lavender sachets, place cedar balls in drawers or use a few drops of essential oil on a piece of cotton or a porous stone as a repellent.

Textile moths - Which essential oils to use?

Here's a non-exhaustive list of essential oils that can help keep moths at bay

• essential oil of cedar(Cedrus atlantica) ;
• essential oil of citronella (Cymbopogon winterianus) ;
• essential oil of fine lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) ;
• essential oil of field mint (Mentha arvensis) ;
• essential oil of camphor rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L. camphoriferum) ;
• essential oil of wild thyme (Thymus serpyllum).

Neem vegetable oil (Melia azadirachta) is also an interesting way to combat moths. Extracted from the seeds of the neem tree, a member of the mahogany family widely distributed in India, this oil is known for its insecticide and acaricide properties. Its active ingredients slow down insects' reproductive capacity and block the moulting of their larvae.
How to make your own neem oil spray?
Dilute 5 to 10 ml of pure neem oil in 90 ml of water. Spray into your cupboards and closets, then dry with a cloth.

Remedies and tips for textile moth infestations
If the infestation has already started, repellent methods will no longer suffice, and you'll need to combine them with more radical solutions. In particular, the use of moth traps soaked in pheromones can prove effective: these traps attract male moths to a surface covered in glue, thus stopping moth reproduction. The traps can also be used as an indicator of the degree of infestation.
In the event of heavy infestation, a heat treatment may become indispensable: either cold treatment (15 hours at -20°c is enough to kill 99.99% of moth eggs) or heat treatment (washing clothes at a temperature of over 49°c, or 3 minutes in the microwave oven, for clothes with no metal parts).